I read the editorial by Keith Hammonds regarding freedom of speech and have some comments.
Ms. Waisanen, the flag flyer and constitutional expert, stated that she was using the flag, and her freedom of speech, to express her nuanced/multi-layered disappointment in President Joe Biden, hoping that her expression of freedom of speech would elicit “constructive discussion” of the erosion of liberties. Using “F— Biden,” and all those who voted for him, not only demonstrates that she doesn’t know how to convey a message, but also clearly shows that she doesn’t want a constructive discussion. She points out that a lot of profanity was used against the previous president, but she lacks the recognition that flying a flag with profanity at a family event is different.
My biggest issue is not with Ms. Waisanen but with the Jefferson County Rodeo Association. I reached out to the JCRA via Facebook (where my comments were deleted) and in private messages (no response). I think they owe the residents of Boulder an apology and an explanation of how this happened and how it won’t happen again. In Mr. Hammonds’ editorial, Ms. Nordahl (chair of the JCRA) stated they are “not going to censor either side of the political spectrum.” This shows a complete lack of understanding of what the issue is. I don’t care what political words were on the flag. I care that “F—” was allowed to proudly wave in a family event. She stated that the flag “is not what our rodeo weekend represented,” but the JCRA lost their message because they let someone show their politics in this way. This was the first time our family rodeo flew a profane flag—that is what many people will remember.
